What Passes for Personal Safety for Kids in Schools - Really??

This one comes via a dear friend of mine and an incident that happened to his young son (8) at school yesterday. It infuriated me. Made me cry. J sent me the pictures of 8's wound before and after he was stitched up. They are horrific and I will not share them (never mind protecting 8's identity). Suffice to say, I'm angry about this. Here's J's post from Facebook:

I'm kinda pissed off. We get phone call from 8's teacher saying he fell down the stairs and he may need stitches. A shows up and he has a HUGE gash on his head. I go and pick up daughter from school and ask the teacher where 8 fell and how it happened. The teachers make grade 2 students walk down the stairs carrying laptops with both hands so they have no hands for the railing or support themselves. And when they fall forward they can't save their heads from the steel railing. Which causes a split large enough to see his skull. 3 stitches on the inside and 6 on the out. A took pics but to graphic for here. Maybe I should call a lawyer. I just feel like its wrong. What do you guys think?

Anyone else see what's wrong with this scenario? Why are the KIDS made responsible for carrying laptops down a know problem staircase with both hands on the laptop and none to protect their safety? Excellent question. I'm waiting to hear what the school (in Okotoks) has to say about their policy on this and when they plan to change it. And they had best change it. The teachers should be responsible for the protection of school-owned equipment and not the students. Particularly when it compromises the safety of the students. 

I have a boat-load of questions on this. How many other children have been hurt similarly, doing this? Were their injuries less, equally or more sever than 8's? Are they head injuries also or broken bones in other parts of their poor, little bodies? What will it take to change this policy? Why do they not have laptop bags for the kids to carry them in - at the very least - if they're worried about a teacher having to transport them and liability issues surrounding that? Why is the "property" not insured against accidental damage (as in dropping it to prevent serious bodily damage)? Does a child have to sustain brain damage before this changes? Does a child have to die before this changes? Good god I hope not. Wrongful death suits happen and no one wins.

Should we teach kids about personal accountability for things like computers they have to use? Yes. At potential, great personal risk? Absolutely not. There is no common sense being used here. Folks work in all kinds of environments and heath & safety is a huge concern in every workplace these days. It's a billions-of-dollars-a-year industry. So why not in the schools? Why do we feel our kids are exempt from the health & safety aspect? We shouldn't. We really shouldn't. This is the perfect opportunity to teach them that it is most definitely an important issue and taking every measurable step to ensure they learn those lessons. This is a fail far beyond epic proportions. 

If your company or organisation has laptop bags that are being "retired", please tell someone about this story and get them donated to this school so no other child - possibly your own - never goes through this. You would hate to get that one phone call your child was seriously injured at school because they carried a laptop down some stairs and fell. Not being able to protect themselves.

Peace & Love